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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · arm · spring · mark · pitcher · wake · prune · rush

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spring — of water
  7. mark — a grade
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wake — a trail
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rush — hurry
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. press — to push
  24. mark — to pay attention

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com